The Love Story of Niu Lang and Zhinü: A Chinese Legend of Star-Crossed Lovers

The legend tells of Zhinü, the granddaughter of the ancient Heavenly Emperor, who was skilled in weaving and wove colorful clouds for the sky every day. Unhappy with her monotonous life, she secretly descended to the mortal world and married Niulang, a cowherd from Hexi, living a simple life of farming and weaving. This angered the Heavenly Emperor, who captured Zhinü and ordered their separation, only allowing them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on a magpie bridge. Their steadfast love moved the magpies, who flew in countless numbers to create a magpie bridge across the Milky Way, allowing Niulang and Zhinü to meet on the heavenly river.